Windshield-cleaner



J. F. WHITE. WVNDSHIELD CLEANER. APPLICATION FILD SEPT. 12. 1917.

1,349,989. Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN F. WHITE, 0F CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO

WHITE PRODUCTS COMPANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A. CORPORATION OF ILLI- WINDSHIELD-CLEANER.

Patented Aug. 17, 1920.

Application flied September 12, 1917." Serial N0. 191,080.

T0 all nwhom t may concern.'

Be it known that L'JOHN F. WHITE, a

along the .upperedge of the wind shield. Tothe clip 'and clamp is connected at 13 the citizen of the United States, residing at\0l1ter cleaning members 14 which cleaning Chicago, inthe county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Windshield-Cleaners, of which the following is a specification. K

The object of the invention is an improvement over known forms of cleaners for the glass of windows such as wind shields for automobiles, whereby to render su'ch devices more convenient of attachment and operation and more efficient for the purpose intended. r

Not only does the glass of wind shields become coated on the outer face with dust, snow and the like, but dust also settles on the inner face of the glass, and, lin cold weather frost coats the same at times due to humidity within the vcar. It thereforebecomes important to provide for cleaning-the glass both inside and out, and the presentdevice not only serves such purpose but also vice applied to a wind shield which latter' is shown in cross section;

Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of the device as shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an edge elevation of a modification with thevlower edge of the outer wiping element broken away; and

Fig. 5 is a similar view of yet another embodiment of the invention.

Having reference to Figs. 1, 2 and 3 of the drawing, the wind shield is indicated at 11, the upper edge of the same being overlain and spanned by a clip 2O carried by a clamp' 12 adapted to be slidably moved members may be arranged singly or in pairs, the illustration showing two of said members '14. Each of the members 14 comprises a strip of metal bent upon itself into a general U-shape with the edges but slightly spaced apart as most clearly seenfin Fig. Wlthin each of the members 14 is disposed a wiping element 15 consisting of anarrow strip or ribbon of rubber bent upon itself so .as-to bring its edges into contact allelism, with the fold of the strip inside the member 14. A wire 16 is then inserted within the bight of the rubber wiping element from the end, thus anchoring the wiping element Awithin the cleaning memberV and preventing its lateral displacement therefrom. From the clip 2O is hingedly suspended an inner cleaning member 17 bv means of a link 18 hooked over the pivot 1.9 on the inwardly overhanging portion of the clip, which link 18 is pivoted to the cleaning member 17 at 21. A spring 22 operatively connected to the overhanging portion of the clip at 23 bears with its lower end at 24 upon the medial portion of the inner cleaning member-17. In said figures the bearing point of the spring 24 against the inner cleaning member 17 is a sliding one, the lower end of said spring 22 being housed within a shield 25.

The inner cleaning member 17 is constituted of a metallic strip so bent upon itself as to be of U-cross section Ywith converging legs and carries inserted therein a yielding absorbent strip of material such as yfelt indicated at 26. This strip of felt is folded upon itself and inserted lengthwise vwithin the member 17, the extrathicknes's of the material at the fold preventing its accidental dislodgment laterally, while the edges of the felt arranged closelyv adjacent in parallel project from the cleaning member sufficiently to bear with a wiping' action upon the innerface of the glass.

It will be observed that the two cleaning members 14 and 17 are hingedly connected together at theirv upper portions so as to be capable of movement out of parallelism one with the other. It will also be observed that these two cleaning members are pressed toward each other so as to bear upon the and in parouter and inner faces of the glass by the spring 22, the point of application of the spring being at a medial portion of the member 17 whereby the upper and lower edges of said member may move in a. rocking manner so as to bring pressure to bear vequally throughout the extent of application regardless of the thickness of tlie glass, thus adapting the device for application to wind shields of varying thickness. The wiping elements 15. bearing upon the outer face of the glass, serve to remove any grime, rain drops or snow and thus keep the outer face of the glass perfectly clean by an occasional movement of thedevice from one end of the wind shield to the other. The felt wiping element 2G carried by the inner cleaning member 17 may be saturated advantageously with some solution, many of which are well knowm for preventing the formation of frost upon the inner .face of the glass. Combinations of glycerin with other substances for this purpose are recognized as eliicient -for the purpose.

In Fig. 4, the inner cleaning member, indicated at 27, has but a slight cleaning function, the bearing surface of the same upon the inner face of the glass being quite restricted as shown at 28. The member 27 is similarly7 but directly hinged to lthe overhang ofthe clip at 29 and the primary purpose of the said member 2l is to transmit the action of the spring 30 upon a medial portion of said Jnember to the point 28 on the inside of the glass opposite the cleaning member 14 whereby said member 14 is permitted a slight rocking movement so as to compensate for thicknesses of glass and to effect a uniform bearing upon the outer face.

In Fig. 5 is shown an embodiment of the invention in which the link connection 31 between the inner cleaning member 32 and spring 34 tln'ouglithe medial portion of the inner cleaning member 32. In this form of construction as in both of the others, the outer cleaning member 14 is provided with the rubberwviping element and the inner cleaning member 32 is provided with the felt wiping element charged with a frost preventing substance.

The operation of the device will be readily understood, other devices of the same general type but Without the improvement features hereinbefore disclosed being in common use. The clip portion of the device is disposed over the upper edge of the wind shield, the device occupying a position at one side out of the range of vision. Occasionally, as need arises, the device is grasped by the hand of the driver and slipped alon the upper edge of the shield to the opposite side thereof, traverse of the glass by the cleaning member serving to wipe the foreign substances from both the inside and outside of the glass thus insuring a clear vision. The peculiarly advantageous mounting of the inner and outer cleaning members relative to each other so as to provide for the'rocking or tilting movement assures a better and more uniform contact throughout the surface of the glass with the cleaning member and the charging of the inner wiping member with the frost excluding substance serves-to keep the inside of the glass clear even in the coldest weather.

I claim:

1. In a device of the character described, the combination of a slidable clip for spanning the upper edge of the glass of a wind l"shield, a pair of cleaning members carried by the clip one bearing on the outside and the other on the inside of the glass, the inner member being hingedly connected to the clip so as to be capable of movement out of parallelism with the outer member, and a spring having a sliding bearing on the inner member in its medial portion to press the same' against the glass in opposition to the outer member, the contacting faces of the members faced with yielding wiping elements.

2. In a device of the character described, the combination of a slidable clip for spanning the upper edge of the glass of a wind shield, a pair of cleaning members carried by the clip one bearing on the outside and the other on the inside of the glass, the inner member being linked to the clip so as to be capable of moving out of parallelism with the outer member and at each end toward-and from such outer member, and a spring having a sliding bearing on the inner member in its medial portion to press the same against the glass in opposition to the outer member, the contacting faces of the members faced With yielding wiping elements.

3. In a device of the character described, the combination of a slidable clip for spanning the upper edge of the glass of a wind shield, a pair of cleaning members carried by the clip one bearing on the outside and the other on the inside of the glass', the inner member being linked to the clip so as to be capable of moving out of parallelism with the outer member and at each end toward and from such outer member, an operating handle for the inner member comprising elements horizontally spaced to provide a vertical channel therebetween, 'a suitably anchored spring carried by the device With its free end disposed within the cliannel'to slidably bear against the inner cleaning member to press the same against the glass parallelism therewith, and a spring having a bearing on the inner member near 1ts middle portion to press the same against the glass in opposition to the outer member,

ln Witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name 1n the presence of two subscribing witnesses` JOHN F. 'HITE. lVitnesses:

MARY C. BROWER,' EBBA F. NYDEN. 

